Sanitize or not my tank

[Chris turtlerouge]

Hi,

Ive a 40 gal tank. It needs cleaned out but do i clean it with vinegar to clean AND disinfect the tank before i start it back up?

Also, i purchased a driftwood bonsai tree. Im suppose to boil it for 30 mins but tge problem is, ive nothing wide enough to put the "tree" in to kill the leechens. So, wjat is anorhet way to to kill the bad bacteria that may be left on the driftwood?

Ive approx 4 lbs of aquarium gravel that i have not yet cleaned and sanitized that i took out of this tank.

They are dry stones but wouldnt they have the good bacteria left on them as well as inside of the tank before i clean it?

Lastly, i ordered Eco Complete soil. I was thibking of adding alittle bit of sand in a different area that isnt covered by the EC soil  could i mix the  sand with the aquarium gravel to help filter water and roots better?

Lastly, my tank is 36" x 18" wide. Ive a full hood light. Should i get the full plant light spectrum colors or day and dusk florescent light or what should i get for light?

To make sure the front row of furture plants will get tge light tgey need plus, the other plants, should i put a hugger light up closer to the dront of tank and put my full hood closer to the back for the back row of plants?

Im planning on putting my lights on a timer, when are the best times to set my light timer?

When do i have to start daily water changes?

When should i add beneficial bacteria liquid into the water?

 

Thats all for now!

Thanks!

Chris

[Fish Folk]

On 1/1/2024 at 5:11 AM, Chris turtlerouge said:

Ive a 40 gal tank. It needs cleaned out but do i clean it with vinegar to clean AND disinfect the tank before i start it back up?

Is this a tank you acquired? Or is this one you already have set up? What are your reasons for cleaning it, and / or disinfecting it? If this is a dry tank you recently acquired and if you are trying to clean surfaces, then cleaning vinegar will help to eliminate hard water marks, etc. It can be rinsed out with water then. Just take care not to harm the silicone seals. Now, if it is a tank badly troubled with disease, etc. then you may want to totally sanitize it. You can fill the bare tank with water, and then add several cups of Clorox Bleach and leave it up overnight. Then drain it completely, refill with water, and pour in an entire bottle of Prime (water treatment) and leave that up for 24 hours. Drain then, and dry out with paper towel and let stand empty for a few days to air-dry. Some folks skip the Prime step, and just allow any chlorox to evaporate out… I’m just paranoid. Anyway, when you start it back up, you are going to have to wait good and long before it’s properly cycled.

On 1/1/2024 at 5:11 AM, Chris turtlerouge said:

i purchased a driftwood bonsai tree. Im suppose to boil it for 30 mins but tge problem is, ive nothing wide enough to put the "tree" in to kill the leechens. So, wjat is anorhet way to to kill the bad bacteria that may be left on the driftwood?

You can perform a similar process with this driftwood. Fill a bathtub, put the wood in, weight it down completely under water if necessary, and add loads of chlorox bleach. Let it sit overnight. Drain the water, refill the tub, and dump in a bottle of Prime. Let that sit overnight. Drain, and let the wood air dry outside for a day or two. My son and I have done this with stones and sea shells. Never a problem if you are patient.

On 1/1/2024 at 5:11 AM, Chris turtlerouge said:

Ive approx 4 lbs of aquarium gravel that i have not yet cleaned and sanitized that i took out of this tank.

They are dry stones but wouldnt they have the good bacteria left on them as well as inside of the tank before i clean it?

No, if the stones are dry, the beneficial bacteria is no longer active. Same goes for the tank. If it is dry, the nitrifying bacteria is no longer alive. Only if still wet with tank water will there be anything that could possibly be maintained. But in that case, you do not want to “clean” or “sanitize” anything per say.

On 1/1/2024 at 5:11 AM, Chris turtlerouge said:

Lastly, i ordered Eco Complete soil. I was thibking of adding alittle bit of sand in a different area that isnt covered by the EC soil  could i mix the  sand with the aquarium gravel to help filter water and roots better?

Eco complete is a soil we have used a lot. It is specifically designed to facilitate plant root development. In general, unless you pour a sand cap layer across soil, added sand on any sort of coarser / larger grained substrate will eventually just fall beneath it. With substrate, larger stones / grains / particles rise up… smaller ones fall beneath over time. Sand is not ideal for plant roots, IMHO.

On 1/1/2024 at 5:11 AM, Chris turtlerouge said:

Lastly, my tank is 36" x 18" wide. Ive a full hood light. Should i get the full plant light spectrum colors or day and dusk florescent light or what should i get for light?

To make sure the front row of furture plants will get tge light tgey need plus, the other plants, should i put a hugger light up closer to the dront of tank and put my full hood closer to the back for the back row of plants?

Im planning on putting my lights on a timer, when are the best times to set my light timer?

A 40 gal is large enough to require an appropriate light to penetrate to the substrate to grow plants. Your description is a bit unclear… is there a built-in light in your “full hood” or are you setting LED lights up on the tank? This one is hard to answer without more details about your goals. If you have a glass top, I would personally recommend buying the $150 ACO Light designed for 36” tanks. It will be perfect. For a timer, just buy a cheap 24-hr timer to plug a light into. Set it up for a short 8-hr photo period first, once tons of plants are added. If ample plants will demand all of the available nutrients, algae growth will be minimized. Be sure to feed the plants with recommended dosage of liquid fertilizer. Some plants will appreciate root tabs. Generally speaking, before adding fish, you want to build a garden of eden first.

On 1/1/2024 at 5:11 AM, Chris turtlerouge said:

When do i have to start daily water changes?

When should i add beneficial bacteria liquid into the water?

Don’t water change until you have the tank densely planted for a few weeks, and are ready to add fish. Beneficial bacteria (e.g. FritzZyme 7) can be added when you set up your tank, then when you add plants, and when you add fish. Eco Complete will have some bacteria to kick start the tank. Add extra air-stones. The bacteria you are cultivating is aerobic bacteria. More air, the better as the colonies kick off.

Edited January 1 by Fish Folk

[Chris turtlerouge]

Thank you for your suggestions Fish Folk. 

Although ive a full hooded light for my fish, the bulbs do come out. There is a full glass top also that has a lot of calcium build up on it.

I bought the tank last year. After cycling it, i put fish and plastic plants in it.

After a few months, my fish started dying in the plastic plants. i thought they got stuck in the plastic leaves but a friend suggested they were sick and their bodies got caught in between the plastic leaves.

Some of them died that way but the remaining fish died due to my heater had a lot of condensation. I couldnt see the numbers, i thought i turned it down, but instead, i turned it up and when i got home from work, all my fish were floating on top.The temp was 92F.

I cannot move the tank myself, too heavy and awakward. I can spray down the inside of tank with vinegar and spray it off with another bottle filled with water, at same time do tge same with gravel and tank decorations.

I thibk thats about all.

Thank you again!

Chris

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tanked]

Had I known about using prime after a bleach dip, I might not needed to wait for a week of sun and air to kill the smell.

Hydrogen peroxide is an alternative to bleach as a disinfectant.  Medical grade is the 3% H2o2 that you find in the grocery/pharmacy.  Used correctly it is aquarium safe.  Peroxide is highly susceptible to light.  You could liberally spray your tree in a plastic bag and place in a dark room for a few minutes or hours.  Exposure to light will cause the peroxide to break down leaving you with water.  The CDC says that on hard surfaces you can spray it on and wait a minute or three and wipe it off.  Be sure that your peroxide hasn't expired.

If you think you need to sanitize your rocks and gravel,  you can boil them.  Cover them with tap water and raise to boiling point 5-10 minutes.   Most everything will begin dying at 150 degrees.

Any cheap mechanical timer will do for the lights, but for about $10.  you can buy a digital timer which will allow you to set the exact time you wish the lights to cycle down to the minute. They are usually smaller, come with a single pushbutton override, and most importantly, a battery backup.

 

[Chris turtlerouge]

Thank you Tank fpr your suggestions!

What i was thinking of doing after reading what you said, i just a plastic tote to hopfully boil the 2 pcs of driftwood bonsai trees in. Wouldnt added salt kill just the same if i put it in the boiling water in tote?

Or, after a boilng time to soak, i could spray it down with the peroxide as you suggested.